5 Types of Carry-on Bag to Avoid

[TonyHancock]

And the antlers are a good bag. I punish my bags well... and apart from minor issues over time they hold up well.

My current domestic and international rollaboards are both domestic. I have been very happy with them.

 

[Rebekkap]

Just checked on line (and will confirm tonight if I remember) that the Tumi 22in I have is 5kg empty :shock:

Crikey! My Samsonite cosmolite weighs 2.2kg empty.

ETA have just checked online - there is now an even lighter one, at 2kg http://www.bagworld.com.au/shop/detail/samsonite-litesphere-small-cabin-55cm-softside-su/

 

[dot]

I am one who only does carry on luggage - I only check luggage if I am with my family on leisure travel. For me, I try and stick with OW airlines so that I can take my two pieces - one backpack with my laptop, tablet, cables etc (so that I can keep my hands free to hold passports, BPs wallet etc) and one two wheeled domestic sized roll-aboard. I spent a lot of time researching the lightest possible domestic sized roll-abord with the most possible capacity (litres) - price was not a key factor, but I ended up with an Antler softside two wheel model (which has now been discontinued). It is my second one - On the first one, the extension handle snapped after about 4 years of use. Given it was less than $100 to buy (and that would equate to around 350 flights), I am happy with that. The second one has been going strong for just over a year now and has done about 150 flights. The key thing in selecting a bag was weight/capacity and at 1.7Kg with (IIRC) 39l of capacity, that sold it for me.

If I could get one of the new polycarbonate ultralights with two wheels, I would go for that in a heartbeat. The external wheels on a four-wheel unit just aren't sturdy enough for me and do not cope with rough surfaces as well.

I personally think the OP needs to reconsider the different types of flyers - hand luggage only road warriors, occasional travellers etc as different traveller types have different needs from their luggage (bot carry on and checked in), so a view that takes that into account rather than just spurting out their opinion as if it is fact. If all the posts in this thread have proven one thing, it's that different people prefer different things and that there is no one 'right' answer.

As an aside, I did see a lady on one of these on arrival into SYD Intl a few months back... it looked way cool and a great way to get around big airports to boot!

There are downsides to the coolness though - it's only 26l in capacity and it weighs 5.4Kg unladen - fine for some parts of the world (LATFAP) but not so good in Oz. If you’re interested - these are available on Amazon for US$250 (Amazon.com: Micro Luggage: Sports & Outdoors).

 

[nlagalle]

Hey Dot,

I know we had the same antler bag, my handle pole snapped a month ago. Cost me $40 to get repaired at an authorised repairer in Nunawading.

 

[simongr]

Ok, after reading those comments categorically stating that 4 wheeled trolleys are too big for carry on I actually took the time to measure my Samsonite and it is 105cm...

Ok technically it is not a 4 wheeled bag as each wheel is double. So my 8 wheeled bag is still inside the limit to take 2 on board for domestic and under the limit to take 2 on international.

I don't think that is that all 4 wheelers are too big it is just that the four wheels take up more space. If you measure from floor to the top of your bag that would be the driver for total volume that the bag is occupying with reference to the allowable limit. However not all of that volume is available to you - the distance from the floor to the base of the bag (i.e. the height of the wheels) is volume that you can't use but might be available to a two wheel bag. On a three week trip that is potentially an extra pair of shoes!

 

[nlagalle]

Opinion it was, stated as fact - certainly. That's the way all good opinion pieces should be (that is, they should be mildly controversial to promote discussion). I just had a few free hours on a Sunday afternoon which I tried to use creatively after spending all week researching which bag I myself wanted. In case you couldn't tell, I ended up going with an Antler size zero four wheel domestic.

I think you can state as fact, there is not one bag that does all.. Anything else is a personal preference.

 

[simongr]

Just checked on line (and will confirm tonight if I remember) that the Tumi 22in I have is 5kg empty :shock:

Crikey! My Samsonite cosmolite weighs 2.2kg empty.

ETA have just checked online - there is now an even lighter one, at 2kg Bagworld Australia | Shop | Viewing Samsonite Litesphere Small/Cabin 55cm Softside Suitcase Space Black 90003

Ok just at home and checked my bag as I didnt really believe the weights that I actually quoted. The bag empty apart from the shirt storer was 5.4KG :shock: (I did note I had a small external hard drive in there as well though). I removed the short storer (and the hard drive) and it was 4.8KG :shock:

 

[medhead]

Ok, after reading those comments categorically stating that 4 wheeled trolleys are too big for carry on I actually took the time to measure my Samsonite and it is 105cm...

Measured to the end of the wheels? I looked in a range of bags 2 years ago and, of the ones I measured, the bodies were 105 but the wheels extend another inch or so.

 

[ozmille]

Measured to the end of the wheels? I looked in a range of bags 2 years ago and, of the ones I measured, the bodies were 105 but the wheels extend another inch or so.

Measured to the floor

 

[moa999]

Do wheels weigh???

Compare the Samung Ultralite 8 range in 55cm
- 2 wheels - 2.8kgs, 43 L capacity - Bagworld Australia | Shop | Viewing Samsonite Ultralite 8 Small/Cabin 55cm Softside Suitcase Black 21002
- 4 wheels - 3.2kgs, 37 L capacity - Bagworld Australia | Shop | Viewing Samsonite Ultralite 8 Small/Cabin 55cm Softside Suitcase Black 21006
The spinner measurements say it is wider, presumably to add capacity to the airspace lost by the wheels (which are seemingly included in the 55cm length count)

 

[Princess Fiona]

I have a Cosmolite 55cm 4 wheeled, weighs 2.2kg and I love it I now try to go carry-on only ( at least on departure) and this case is a bit like The Tardis. Clothes rolled in the zip-mesh section, everything else on the other side, with my "personal item" being a tote bag used for things I actually need in-flight.

 

[samh004]

I've got the Crumpler Spring Peeper (M), it's got 2 wheels and works very nicely

 

[simongr]

Do wheels weigh???

Compare the Samung Ultralite 8 range in 55cm
- 2 wheels - 2.8kgs, 43 L capacity - Bagworld Australia | Shop | Viewing Samsonite Ultralite 8 Small/Cabin 55cm Softside Suitcase Black 21002
- 4 wheels - 3.2kgs, 37 L capacity - Bagworld Australia | Shop | Viewing Samsonite Ultralite 8 Small/Cabin 55cm Softside Suitcase Black 21006
The spinner measurements say it is wider, presumably to add capacity to the airspace lost by the wheels (which are seemingly included in the 55cm length count)

400g isn't much so I reckon that sounds reasonable.

It does show how much space you lose by going four wheels over two wheels - 14%!

The more I read this thread the more inclined I am to the Air Boss... If only Tumi had something comparable..

 

[anat0l]

400g isn't much so I reckon that sounds reasonable.

It does show how much space you lose by going four wheels over two wheels - 14%!

I think it's more realistic to state it as the absolute volume difference, which is 60 L or 0.006 m[sup]3[/sup]. That translates to a box the size 30 cm x 20 cm x 10 cm, which is a non trivial loss of space.

 

[Pollywaffle]

I have been using a Lipault brand 2 wheel carry on for a couple of years now. I discovered the brand while overseas and with an in-store sale at the time and VAT refund, it was not expensive. See 20" 2-Wheeled Foldable Duffle Carry-on - Soft-Side Luggage

It can also be folded down to a much smaller size, so if I take a larger case, it's easy to pack in the larger case and use when the shopping accumulates.

 

[anat0l]

Just visited the Rimowa dealer in BNE and enquired about their lightest cabin bag with wheels. It's a 4 wheel spinner made from composite. It looks like a plastic finish from the outside (not shiny plastic). Quite light in weight.

They want $700 for it. At that price, you wouldn't just hope it lasts well and truly beyond the 5 year warranty; you'd be hoping it lasts through nuclear war.

 

[simongr]

My Tumi rollaboard cost $900+ in 2007...

 

[TonyHancock]

My Tumi rollaboard cost $900+ in 2007...

Priced by the KG then?.........

 

[Rhiannon]

I love luggage debates, and have read many of them over the years. I have been accused of being a luggage collector and must confess I have acquired a ridiculous number of suitcases and bags of various styles and sizes. Agree with many of the opinions so far, and also agree it is a very individual matter. I am old enough to still recall the novelty of being able to buy extra clip-on wheels for a suitcase (bad idea - 1 came off in transit, leaving the bag with a terrible wobble), and my first hard-sided Samsonite Oyster whose wheels were destroyed by London cobblestones. I try and travel cabin-bag-only for up to a week, and must have at least 8 or 9 different cabin bags right now. However, as my mobility and hand-strength have now deteriorated, there are some definite factors in my luggage choices.
1. As light weight as possible, as I have difficulty lifting even the 7 kg max into the overhead lockers. My Cosmolite 20", as others have noted with delight, is 2.2 kg empty.
2. For me, wheels are essential. I agree that 2 wheels have many advantages over 4 for certain situations (control on slopes, rough surfaces etc), but I now prefer 4 wheels as it does not put the same strain on my wrist and I can even use the top of the handle as a support while walking it upright.
3. An external zip pocket large enough to take my 11" Mac Air for security screening access would make my Cosmolite ideal, but it lacks this feature. (Others of my soft-sided wheeled bags have such a pocket and it eases the struggle through security).
4. Being able to put my heavy handbag (which has a zip-open luggage sleeve) over the handles of the suitcase is another plus (which my uni-pole Cosmolite lacks, but others of my collection have this nice feature).

Price-wise I have spent from $50 to $400 on cabin bags over the years, and the price has frequently (but not always) reflected the quality and longevity. My vast D) collection enables me to lend something slightly better than the orange corpse-bag mentioned by the OP to various friends and relatives, and it is often their less-careful handling of the bags which reveal the deficiencies - I suspect I am gentler than the average with my belongings. And a bit sentimental about some of the prettier ones (a lovely turquoise set of Samsonites is a particular sentimental favourite, but the cabin bag is international size and quite heavy empty, and the no-wheel duffle bag has lots of lovely zipped compartments, but - you guessed it - no wheels! No good for me any more except for car trips ).

 

[anat0l]

My Tumi rollaboard cost $900+ in 2007...

I'll confess naivety. I just never thought I would or could think about paying that much for a bag (cabin or checked one). Unless it was made of some superior material or the like (military or aircraft grade...)